Method of and apparatus for measuring volt amperes



Oct. 22, 1929. B, E, LENEHAN 1,732,726

METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING VOLT AMPER-ES Filed June 10, 1927 @JH/L37,

5er/)afd Lene/Mrz. MM

y A'TTORNEY ing drawing, in` which y f Patented Octl 22, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE BERNARD E. LENEHAN, OF WILKINSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO 'WESTING- HOUSE ELECTRIC 6u MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- vANIA METHOD 0F AND'APPARATUS FOR MEASURING- VOLT AMPERES Application filed June 10,

My invention relates to electrical measuring-instruments for indicating the product of dissimilar electrical quantities of an electrical circuit.

My invention resides in a method of, and apparatus for, controlling the passage of current along a main path, including a currentresponsive device and along an auxiliary path including a second current-responsive device, in such manner that the first current-responsive device cooperates with the second current-responsive devicel to produce an indication oi the product of two quantities such as the current and voltage of an electrical circuit; and it is characteristic of my apparatus :tor this purpose that it is relatively inexpensive and compact and that it may omit features ot ordinary measuring apparatus here! toiorelinown to the art..

lt isiurther characteristic vof my inven-` tion that coacting flux-producing members indicating the product of volts and amperes are substantially unaffected by the difference in phase angle between the voltage and current.

ll/ly inventionresides iny apparatus for energizing one of a plurality of coacting members by a current varying in accordance with vthe potential of an electrical circuit and for energizing another o said members by another current varying in accordance with the current of said electrical circuit, said lastnamcd current being in phase with said first named current, regardless ofthe phase difierence between the current and voltage of said electricalcircuit. L

My invention resides in the method and apparatus of the character hereinafter described and claimed, rthe foregoin Aand further` characteristics of my inven ion being determinable from the following description. For an understanding of my methodvand the description of a forrnmy apparatus may take, referenceis to be had tothe accompany- The single figure is a Vdiagramniatic' view of that form of myvnvention employingtwo coils or. windings .and their yrelation toa W'lieatstone bridge and anelectrical circuit.

Referring tothe drawing,1`and2;ar`e cylin- 1927. Serial No. 197,861.

drical or rectangular coils, and 3 is a coil relatively movable with respect to coils 1 and 2. The coil 3 is provided with a pointer 4, the relative position of which may be indicated by scale 5. The movement of the coil 3 4and. the pointer 4 may be restrained by any suitable means, such as a spring 6 secured to a shaft 7 of the coil 3 and a stationary portion 8 forming a part ofthe frame of the meter (not shown).

The coils of the instrument are connected to a number of interconnected resistances, as in the form of a Wheatstone bridge. The resistances comprise a portion 9 having a substantially zero 'temperature' coeilicient of resistance and a portion 10 of a similar construction as portion 9 disposed oppositely thereto. The other portions of the vWheatstone bridge comprise a current path 11 and a current path 12 severally comprising reslstors 13 and 14 and 15 and 16. The resistances of the paths 11 and 12 are substantially -equal to the resistances of the resistors 9 and 10, at normal ambient temperature. The resistors 13 and 14 andthe resistors 15 and 16 are, however, preferable of a resistance hav ing a relatively high temperature coeicient a?) comparedwith that of the resistors 9 and The stationary coils 1 and 2 are energized from the mains 17 and 18 of an electrical circuit, conducting, for example, alternating current from a enerator 19 to a load 20. The current traverslng the stationaryl coils 1 and 2 is limited to a desirable quantity by any suitable means, as, for example, a resistor 21 in series-circuit relation therewith. The current energizing the stationary coils 1 and 2 traverses the 'resistor 21 and dividesequally,

at normal ambient temperature, at the junction 22, one-half 4flowing through resistor 9 *and one-half flowing through path 11. The

current flowing through path' 11 divides at the junction23, one halt` traversing the `rev. sistor 13 and one half traversing the resistor` l 14. These currents unite again at junction 24 andA traverse the resistor 10 to the junction .e 25. Thatpart4 ofthe currenttraversing the resistor 9 divides, ina similar manner, at ]unct1on 26 land one half traverses, the a' rehalves uniting at junction 27 and both orig- ,inal halves uniting at junction and travers- Aing the conductor 28 through the stationary coils 1 and 2 back to the main 17 through con* ductor 29.

Themovable coil 3 is placed in series-ci rcuit relationfby conductors 30 and 31, with the junctions 32 and 33, respectively, of the Wheatstone bridge. Any imbalance in the Wheatstone bridge or, rather, any difference in potential between the junction 32` and 33 causes a current to traverse the movable winding v3 in accordance with such diiference of potential. T he current traversing the winding 3 is, therefore, a portion of the current traversing the windings 1 and 2, because, upon a difference of potential between the .junctions 32 and 33, current iowing through thebridge by virtue of the difference of the potential between the mains 17 and 18 flows from one to the other of the junctions 32 and 33, through conductor 30, winding 3 vand conductor 31.

The difference of potential between the junction 32'and unction 33 may be produced, in accordance with the current traversing the load 20, in any suitable manner, for example, by heating the resistors 13 and 14 and resistors 15 and'16 in accordance with the current traversing the load 20. To this end, current derived from the secondary winding of a main currenttransformer 34, having a primary Winding35 and a secondary winding 36, energizes current transformers 37 and '38 having, respectively, primary windings 39 and 40 in series-circuit relation with the secondary winding 36 of the transformer 34.

. The primary winding 39 of the current transformer 37 energizes a secondary Winding 41 which sends a current through a'conductor 42 and a conductor 43 tomid-points of the resistors 13 and 14, respectively. In a. similar manner, the primary 40 of thecurrent transformer 38 energizes a secondary 44 that sendsa current through conductors 45 and 46 to themid-pointsof resistors 15 and 16, respectively. The paths 11 and 12 of the VVheat-stone bridge are heated in accordance with the current traversing the load 20 and, since these portions are constructed of a material having a high temperature coeiicient of resistance, the resistance of the paths 11 and 12 increases substantially in accordance with the .square of the increase incurrent which may take place in the load 20.

The current traversing the stationary wlndings 1 and 2 is proportional to the difference of. the potential between the mains 17 and 18.

The currents traversing the movable Wind-.

ing 3 is also-proportional to the difference in potential between the-mains/l? and 18 because, as hereinbefore mentioned, the current traversing the winding 3 is a. portion of the current traversing the windings 1 and 2 .moving coil 3 and the stationary coils 1 and 2 is proportional to the product of the square ofthe voltage between mains 17 and 18 and to the square of the current traversing the load 20. Accordingly, scale 5 may be calibrated to indicate volt-amperes.

While I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention in the connections and. diagrams hereinbefore particularly described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that it may be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. The method of measuring the volt-amperes traversing an alternating-current circuit whieh'comprises heating portions of a Vheatstone bridge in accorc ance with the current traversing the electrical circuit, energizing a coil from the electrical circuit and energizing another coil in accordance with the unbalance in said Wheatstone bridge, said first named coil coacting with said second named coil to perform an indicating function.

2. An electrical measuring instrument for measuring volt-amperes comprising coacting flux producing members, means for energizing one of said members in accordance with thevoltage of an electrical circuit, means,

comprising a Wheatstone bridge, for energizing another of said members in accordanceI with the current of said electrical circuit, and

means -for unbalancing said Wheatstone bridge in accordance with said current.

3. An electrical measuring instrument for measuring volt-amperes comprising coacting flux-producing members, means for energizing one of said members in accordance with the voltage of an electrical circuit and means for energizing another of said members from the voltage of said electrical circuit in accordance with the current of said electrical circuit. v

4. An electrical instrument comprising coacting flux-producing members, means for energizing one of said members in accordance with the voltage of an electrical circuit, means, including a Wheatstone bridge, for energizing another of said members in accordance with the current of said electrical elrcuit, and means for heating portions of said Wheatstone bridge in accordance with said current, whereby said Wheatstone bridge is unbalanced.

5. A n electrical measuring instrument comprising movable and stationary eoacting coils, means for producing a torque in said movable coil substantially proportional to the vzii/and a mesuring instrument having relaseries-circuitA relation with said stationary opposite portions of coils,said circuit being in parallel-circuit relation with said electrical circuit, said Wheatston'e bridge consisting of alternate resistors having substantiallyzero and highv temperature coeiiicients of resistancev respectively, means for heatincr thel resistors having high temperature coefficients of resistance and means or energizing the movable coil in accordance with the unbalance between'predetermined junctions of said Wheatstone bridge caused by said heating.l

6. In combination, circuit, a Wheatstone bridge in parallel-circuit relatipn with said circuit, means for heating opposite portions of said bridge in accordancel` with the current of said circuit,

tively-mov ble coacting flux-producing coils connected espectively one in 'seriescircuit relation wit said bridge and one in parallelcircuit relat'on with the unbalanced terminals of said ridge.

7 In combination, a current responsivev device, Aa Wheatstone bridge in said main path, an auxiliary path across said bridge including a second current means 4for passing a curresponsive device, rent derived from a voltage source through said main path, and. means the magnitude of the current traversing said auxiliary path, includingmeans `for heating said bridge in accord- ,l ance with the current of said source.

` aWheatston'e bridge and an element of a said consumer, y y volt-amperes of said circuit, lincluding a esl s said bridge inc 8. In combination, a'main pathincluding measuring instrument in series-circuit relation, anauxiliar path across the corners of uding ,an element of said measuring instrument,"means for passing a current derived from the same voltage source alon both of said paths, and means for heating opposite ortions only of said bridge in accordance wit the current of said source.

9. A measuring device for alternating curan alternating current for controlling in circuit relation,.means connecting another one of said members across saidA bridge, and means for heating opposite portions of said bridge in accordance with the current of said conducting circuit. y v

11. In combination, an alternatin -current transmission circuit, a Wheatstone ridge in parallel with said circuit, means for unbalancing said bridge in accordance with the current of saidcircuit, and means for measuring the product of the-unbalance of said bridge by the voltage of said circuit,

' In testimony whereof, I have hereunto 'subscribed my name this 2nd day of June, 1927.

. BERNARD E. LENEHAN,

a main path including rent circuits comprising aWheatstone bridge,

la measuring instrument having coacting flux producing coils,

nected so as to be energi ed in accordance with the unbalance of said ridge, means for' unbalancing said bridg in accord nce with the current of an alternatin 4current circuit, and means for energizing t e other of said coils and said Wheatstone bridge by the voltage of said yalternating current circuit.

`10. In combination, a source of electrical a consumer of electrical power, a cirpower, cuit conductlng current from said source to and means for measuring the Wheatstonebridge, alud a measuring instruone or saidcoilsbeing conmeans con.-

mar 

